JAUNTS : 11 Sails and 4,200 Feet of Canvas: Tall Order for 1790s-Style Vessel : The replica Hawaiian Chieftain, docking Friday at Ventura Harbor, will offer tours and cruises through Jan. 8.

If you want to get a feel for the rigors of sailing in the late 18th Century, stop by Ventura Harbor and step aboard the tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain.

The ship, a square-rigged topsail ketch, arrives Friday and will be dockside at Ventura Harbor Village for tours and cruises through Jan. 8. It won’t be hard to spot. Built in the style of a 1790s-style trading vessel, it has 11 sails made from 4,200 square feet of canvas.

The ship is scheduled to dock at noon Friday. Then, from 2 to 5 p.m., visitors can tour it for free. The crew will be on hand to answer questions.

If you want to see what the ship is like under sail, 2 1/2-hour cruises are scheduled Saturday, Sunday, Monday and the following weekend at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The cost is $30 or $35 for adults and $20 for children, and includes lunch or hors d’oeuvres.

On days the ship is not sailing, it will be open for free tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, on sailing days, it’s open between cruises.

“There are not a lot of ships like this around these days,” Capt. Ian McIntyre said. “A lot of people are fascinated by square-rigged sails.”

The Hawaiian Chieftain represents the great era of sailing ships at the beginning of the 19th Century, a time when American and European trading vessels were venturing to waters all over the world. At the time, the tall ships were considered the most sophisticated transportation ever designed.

While on board, visitors can check out the more than 90 lines that operate the sails. For the crew of six, it’s all sweaty manual labor--nothing is automated. All the lines must be heaved through block and tackles.

Visitors can peruse the teak woodwork on the deck, rails, hatch, doors and skylights. The interior is finished in mahogany paneling. It sleeps up to 20 crew and passengers in three areas and is licensed to carry 47 passengers.

The Hawaiian Chieftain was originally built by a Northern California man for $1.2 million, according to McIntyre. The 103-foot-long vessel, built in three years on the island of Maui, was launched in 1988. It was intended to run cargo and passengers between the islands, but the venture didn’t pan out, and McIntyre and his partners bought the Hawaiian Chieftain three years ago.

Details

* WHAT: Tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain.

* WHEN: Friday through Jan. 8. Tours and cruises offered.

* WHERE: Dockside at Ventura Harbor Village (in front of Coastal Cone).

* HOW MUCH: Tours free; cruises $30 to $35 for adults, $20 for children.

* CALL: (714) 647-2383. Reservations for the cruises are recommended but not required.